8 DIY Survival Shelters You Need to Know to Survive Anything

Knowing how to create a survival shelter for different environments is a valuable outdoor skill that everyone should know. We will show you how to build these 8 DIY Survival Shelters that could possibly save your life some day!

DIY Survival Shelters: How to Survive Almost Anything

If you found yourself in a survival situation, where you had no shelter, but knowledge on survival shelters and only limited equipment to make use of, do you think you would be able to build your own survival shelter? If you are an outdoors person, this topic should be very interesting as I am going to show you 8 different types of DIY survival shelters you can build yourself with the resources available in the surrounding environment.

One of the important things to know is to pick a location free from any natural hazard, such as a landslide, flooding or fire.

Most preppers have a poncho or tarp in their kit, you can use this to setup a shelter in just a few minutes.

Here are the steps to do so:

Anchor down the backside of the tarp to the ground, facing the wind to ensure it won’t be blown away.

Setup a stick at the other end, which acts as an entrance, then tie the tip of the stick with paracord to the tarp.

Anchor the sides of the tarp to the ground.

Or you could just tie some paracord between two trees, and throw your tarp over it, anchoring the sides to the ground again, and you will have a nice shelter.

2. Igloo

It is possible to build a small igloo shelter in under an hour using hard, compact dry snow. With the help of a saw or a long knife, you can cut snow blocks into size which can be used to build the walls of an igloo. In a blizzard, shelter can be the difference between life and death.

You don’t have to make use of snow blocks when constructing an igloo, instead you can stack snow and keep compacting it. You should layout your igloos base, then build it progressively higher, bringing it in at the top, until it forms a closed roof.

The word “debris” itself explains the material you need to build this DIY survival shelter.

Locate a ridge pole (the pole that will run the length of your shelter, and is the main beam in the image above), and elevate one end with two sturdy forked branches, or a small pole forming an elongated triangular form, and let the other end of the pole rest on the ground. Place branches on either side of the pole down to the ground from end to end to create ribs for your shelter. When finished, cover the ribs with debris to keep yourself insulated and dry when inside your DIY Survival shelter. Cover it again with more branches, leaves, dirt, anything you can find, if you want to.

This DIY Survival shelter is very similar to a debris shelter, but has an extra dome like feature at the front, which gives you plenty of space for gear, cooking, or just sitting up. It also makes a great shelter for longer term use as you can actually upgrade it depending on the situation.

5. Rainforest Treetop Hammock

Sleeping on the floor of the rainforest at night can be dangerous, there are many nocturnal creatures who hunt at night time, so it’s best to setup you sleeping spot off the ground. To build this DIY survival shelter, you should choose two trees that are close together, and thick enough to support your weight, along with any gear you might have in your hammock.

Tie your hammock to one tree, then to the other. A strong tarp, blanket, or even tent can be used if you do not have a tarp.

6. Dugout Shelter

This DIY survival shelter requires a lot of work, but this kind of shelter is needed if you need something a little more long term. Sandy soils are best for digging your dugout shelter, they are easier to dig in, and also drain pretty well.

You will want to dig down about 2.3 feet, and dig an area that you can comfortable fit into, then line the floor of your shelter with grass to provide a mattress and act as insulation for when you are sleeping.

You will then need to cover the top with branches and other vegetation to provide a roof. Remember to leave enough room to get in and out!

7. Wickiup Shelter

This type of shelter is very close to a teepee-shelter. You initially start with a tripod design to build you base, then continue on with more ropes and poles as you need. The gaps can be filled with debris such as leave, small sticks and so on. Start from the bottom, and work your way up. This is a great shelter for keeping warm, and you can actually light a fire inside, then let the smoke vent out a small hole at the top.

8. Bamboo House Shelter

If you have access to bamboo and can cut it down, you can make any kind of shelter you wish! All you will need is some paracord to tie the bamboo together. You can dig a small hole, and place bamboo sticks into the holes to make them more secure and permanent.

Final Word

No one wants to be stuck in a survival situation with no shelter. That’s why you need to be prepared and have all the skills needed to survive any situation. The best way to do this is by learning and practising these skills on a regular basis.